A Cup of Truth
by Xenoglossy
Summary: After all is said and done, this is finally the time to be honest with each other. RoyEd, some postseries spoilers


**A Cup of Truth**  
_Cephied Variable_

"A cup of truth," and Corporal Roy Mustang set two shot glasses on the crude table and sat beside Edward. The glasses clinked with surprising weight, and Roy spilt the vodka across the wood surface as he poured it, "There never was enough of it between us, Fullmetal."

It was frigid outside, and inside had begun to frost over slightly. They couldn't quite see their breath, but both men shivered when the shutters rattled and the candles flickered. Edward reached for the glass tenatively, wrapped metal fingers around it. He took a deep breath first, and then pinched his nose, closed his eyes and took a long, strained gulp.

He came up coughing, "I've never drunk before." he said hoarsely, and Roy smiled.

"I drink too much." the older man replied, knocking back his entire shot with a practiced ease.

Edward's eyes followed his hand as it moved from the table, to his mouth, and back to the bottle.

"I never really hated you," the young man said somewhat breathlessly, reluctantly downing the rest of his glass. Roy poured him another one gently.

"You always _were_ my favorite subordinate." he joked fondly, and Ed shot him a sour look before saying, seriously:

"I lied to you a lot."

And Roy frowned: "I lied to you more."

Ed's mouth turned into a mischevious grin. He held out his glass and motioned for Roy to tip the bottle, "No, you didn't."

"I used you like a pawn for political gain."

"I used you like a shield and kept you in the dark."

"I manipulated your emotions and pretended that it was for your own good."

"I spat in your face everytime you tried to do me a favour."

"I only did you favours to keep you obedient."

"I was only obedient because I planned to run away in the end."

"I was willing to hunt you down to the ends of the earth."

"I would have hurt you if it meant protecting my brother."

"I never would have sold you out to the military, Edward."

"I didn't trust you enough to believe that at the time."

"I tried my best."

"I just wanted to fuck you. In retrospect, that was probably my problem all along."

Roy realized he'd probably had too much to drink because the next words out of his mouth were, "I probably would have let you."

Edward's eyes raised slowly, catiously and his mouth moved clumsily, hands shaking suddenly as a live twitch worked it's way through his body. "That eyepatch makes you look like an old man." he tried laughing, but it faded weakly into the darkness.

"I probably shouldn't think you're as beautiful as I do."

"I've never kissed anyone before."

"I'm a patient teacher."

"I've always been too afraid to ask."

"I would have hated myself if you had."

Edward inhaled deeply and steadied himself, flashing Roy a sardonic grin as he ran a hand through his blonde hair, "Well, it's probably a good thing we waited so long to do this, huh?"

They tumbled, a mess of limbs and heavy breathing, and rolled to a stop on the stone floor, Roy's shoulder blades hitting the floor painfully as Edward straddled him. The boy's knees were at Roy's hips, and his palms pressed against his shoulders. Roy hitched his breathing and waited for the blonde to make his move; to make a move; to make _any_ move at all, really, but Edward just stared down at him calmly through golden eyes that burned in the firelight.

He studied Edward as the boy studied him- took in the way his hair fell in his face, the way his brow furrowed, the way his back dipped beneath his shoulders and his arms were weighted unevenly.

He didn't start where or how Roy thought he would. Roy assumed that he would _attack_ with all the vivacious energy that was the Edward Elric he'd always known. Instead Edward lifted his hand gently- held it between his own with a sort of reverence that was shocking- and pressed his lips to Roy's palm.

"When I go back," he whispered into Roy's bare skin, "It will probably be forever."

Roy let his hand slide across Edward's face and cupped the blonde's cheek tenderly, "I could never stop you, even when I tried."


End file.
